"I went to see the governor, and I said governor, let my people go, let ASU go," said Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery. "Because it's being held hostage."

Ross declined to comment Friday on the report released by the governor's office nor on what he would do if selected for the job, but video of his address is posted online:

In the 23-minute address, Ross said the media is failing to cover the positive attributes of ASU. He also argued that ASU is being unfairly targeted by the governor's office.

He said everything is not what it seems when it comes to the investigation of ASU, and that the historically black university's struggles to grow and thrive are evidence it will survive the scandal.

"Look at the history and look at the struggle that it took for this university to climb and begin to soar," he said. "So when we talk about struggle and we talk about turmoil, this university has outlived any struggle, any turmoil that could be given and will continue."

Ross holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in education from Alabama State. He currently serves as director of the Adult Education Consortium at H. Trenholm State Technical College.

He is the current vice chairman of the Senate's Education Policy Committee and recently completed a doctoral degree in education leadership, policy and law at Alabama State.

He was acquitted in 2010 from charges he accepted a bribe in connection with a 2010 gambling bill that would have authorized a statewide referendum on letting casinos operate electronic bingo machines.

Despite support from Ross and others, not all members of the ASU community are backing the school's leadership.

The Executive Committee of the school's Faculty Senate voted no confidence in the university's trustees and interim president last month, according to a letter from Faculty Senate Chairman Charlie Hardy to Bentley.

The letter says the committee consulted with representatives from each of the university's colleges before the vote. It cites a "misapplication of resources due, in part, to extended continuous litigation."

Also, the university's student government association is yet to take a formal position on the controversy. President Sharod Campbell said this week the SGA is yet to conduct a planned survey of the student body that will decide its position.

However, Campbell, who is also a member of the search committee seeking a new president for ASU, told Bentley last week he hopes the search will continue.

Bentley had requested the university stop the search. He said last week he was withdrawing that request, but he still had concerns about the openness of the process.

Bentley launched an investigation into ASU in December, hiring
Forensic Strategic Solutions of Birmingham at a maximum cost of
$650,000, to follow up on allegations from the university's former
president.

A preliminary report from that auditor released last month by the
governor's office alleged Wiggins, Board of Trustees Chairman Elton
Dean, and former Trustee Lawrence "Larry" Lemak all had relatives who
improperly received thousands of dollars from the university.

It also alleged ASU had attempted to thwart the investigation by
failing to provide or delaying the provision of public records and that
ASU had wasted more than $1 million on a Medicaid contract that the
state agency refused to repay.

Former ASU President Joseph Silver alleged publicly last year he had been curbed
by the board of trustees for questioning suspicious contracts.

In December, the
board approved a measure to pay Silver $685,000 to resign after just 13
weeks on the job. That agreement bars the parties from stating the reason for Silver's departure.